1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope assembly, which is inserted into a patient's body for performing inherent operations including at least an image acquisition operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been widely used an endoscope system which can observe an image of a subject in an abdominal cavity or path by inserting a slender insertion tube part into an abdominal cavity or path.
Such an endoscope system generally comprises an endoscope assembly, a light source unit, a light guide cable, an image acquisition unit, a video processor, a signal cable, and a monitor unit. The endoscope assembly has an insertion tube part, which is inserted into an abdominal cavity or path. The light source unit is provided separately from the endoscope assembly, and supplies an illumination light to the endoscope assembly. The light guide cable leads the illumination light from the light source unit to the endoscope assembly. The image acquisition unit is built in or removably provided in the endoscope assembly, and captures a subject and obtains its image data. The video processor is provided separately from the endoscope assembly, and converts the image data obtained by the endoscope assembly into a video signal displayable on a monitor. The signal cable is used to transmit the image data from the endoscope assembly to the video processor. The monitor unit displays the video signal obtained by the video processor. Therefore, the endoscope assembly is connected to the light source unit and video processor, which are external units, through the light guide cable and the signal cable. This limits a movable range of the endoscope assembly, and disturbs the operability of the endoscope assembly.
Under the circumstances, U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,304 discloses the following endoscope system. In this endoscope system, an illumination unit comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) is incorporated in an endoscope assembly. Thereby, a light guide cable extended from an endoscope assembly is eliminated. The endoscope assembly is provided with a video signal processing circuit, which obtains a video signal displayable on a monitor by processing image data, and a transmission circuit, which transmits the video signal by radio waves. A data processing unit, which receives the radio waves from the transmission circuit, and demodulates the video signal, is provided separately from the endoscope assembly. Thereby, a signal cable extended from the endoscope assembly is eliminated. Such an endoscope system is generally called a wireless endoscope system, and has advantages that a movable range of the endoscope assembly is not limited, and the operability of the endoscope assembly is improved.